Italian Phrase
Le grondaie sono piene di foglie.
Meaning
The sentence states that the gutters on a roof are completely filled with leaves. It is often used after autumn when fallen leaves accumulate in the rain‑water channels.
When to use
Use this phrase when describing a rainy‑season problem, warning someone about a possible blockage, or simply commenting on the state of a house’s gutters after the leaves have fallen.
✦Grammar Breakdown
Legrondaiesonopienedifoglie.
Definite Article (Le)
‘Le’ is the feminine plural definite article, used before plural nouns that are feminine.
Noun (grondaie)
‘grondaie’ is a feminine plural noun meaning ‘gutters’ (the channels that collect rainwater on a roof).
Verb (sono)
‘sono’ is the 3rd‑person plural present of ‘essere’ (to be). It must agree with a plural subject.
Adjective Agreement (piene)
‘piene’ is the feminine plural form of ‘pieno’, matching the gender and number of ‘grondaie’.
Preposition (di)
‘di’ introduces the thing that fills something; here it means ‘full of’.
Noun (foglie)
‘foglie’ is the feminine plural of ‘foglia’, meaning ‘leaf’.
🗨In Conversation
Hai controllato le grondaie?
Did you check the gutters?
Sì, sono piene di foglie.
Yes, they are full of leaves.
✕Common Mistakes
Le grondaie sono pieni di foglie.
‘pieni’ is masculine; the noun ‘grondaie’ is feminine, so the adjective must be ‘piene’.
Le grondaie è piene di foglie.
The verb must agree with the plural subject ‘grondaie’; use ‘sono’ not ‘è’.
Le grondaie sono piene di foglia.
‘foglia’ is singular; after ‘di’ you need the plural ‘foglie’ to match the meaning ‘full of leaves’.
↔Alternatives
Le grondaie sono intasate di foglie.
The gutters are clogged with leaves.
Le grondaie sono ricoperte di foglie.
The gutters are covered with leaves.
Le grondaie hanno molte foglie.
The gutters have many leaves.
Cultural Tip
In many parts of Italy, especially in the north and central regions, autumn brings a heavy fall of oak, chestnut and maple leaves. Homeowners traditionally clean the ‘grondaie’ before winter to avoid water damage. Mentioning clogged gutters can be a polite way to start a conversation about home maintenance or to suggest a joint cleaning effort.